fables

Leysa the Defender is one of the seven fairies who became godmothers to the infant Briar Rose, who each provided their own blessing for the baby. She first appears in flashbacks from the Homelands in Fairest #2 — "Run! Chapter Two of Wide Awake."

History

Background

Leysa the Defender and the other six fairy godmothers hail from the Twilight Lands. She traversed the Forest of Ghosts, to unlock the seven secrets of the Silent Mountain.[1]

Briar Rose

All seven fairies were invited to the grand celebration of the birth of Briar Rose, the newborn princess of Seppantyre, and to officially become her godmothers. All seven blessed the infant Briar Rose at midnight, with their own special gift. However, the blessing bestowed upon the princess was abruptly halted by Hadeon the Destroyer, who felt snubbed for not being invited to the christening, barged into the celebration and cast a curse upon Briar Rose. She vowed that the girl would prick her finger on a spindle and meet her demise. After Hadeon cast her curse on Briar Rose, Leysa was the only one of the fairies who hadn't blessed the child, and although she couldn't undo the curse, she would spread it to so many that it would become deep slumber instead, and that she would awake by true love's first kiss.[2]

Showdown

When Hadeon is battling the Snow Queen, Yeva is summoned alongside her fellow godmothers to help her defeat the evil fairy,[3] but they are unable to help due to the Treaty of Morencaire, a mutual non-aggressive pact. However, once Hadeon is defeated, they use one of Hadeon's own spells and bind her into the shape of a car into servitude to Briar Rose.[4]

Appearances

Fables

Fairest

Original source

Leysa the Defender is based on one of the seven fairy godmothers from the Charles Perrault version of the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale. In the Perrault version of the fairy tale, the titular character has seven fairy godmothers,[5] like in the comic; in the Brothers Grimm's version, they are thirteen "wise women."[6] Leysa[2] is based on the seventh fairy godmother, who mitigates the curse placed upon Sleeping Beauty by the aged fairy.[5]

Etymology

The name "Leysa" is of Ukrainian origin and means "defender of man,"[7] making Leysa's moniker of Leysa the Defender[1] a fitting one.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Fairest #2 — "Run! Chapter Two of Wide Awake"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fairest #3 — "Party Crasher: Chapter Three of Wide Awake"
  3. ↑ Fairest #5 — "A Waltz in Frost and Shadow: Chapter Five of Wide Awake"
  4. ↑ Fairest #6 — "A Field Spotter's Guide to True Love: Chapter Six of Wide Awake"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods," The Project Gutenberg EBook of Old-Time Stories, by Charles Perrault, Project Gutenberg. "A grand christening was held, and all the fairies that could be found in the realm (they numbered seven in all) were invited to be godmothers to the little princess." (…) It was now the turn of the aged fairy. Shaking her head, in token of spite rather than of infirmity, she declared that the princess should prick her hand with a spindle, and die of it. A shudder ran through the company at this terrible gift. All eyes were filled with tears. But at this moment the young fairy stepped forth from behind the tapestry. 'Take comfort, your Majesties,' she cried in a loud voice; 'your daughter shall not die. My power, it is true, is not enough to undo all that my aged kinswoman has decreed: the princess will indeed prick her hand with a spindle. But instead of dying she shall merely fall into a profound slumber that will last a hundred years. At the end of that time a king's son shall come to awaken her.'"
  6. ↑ Little Brier-Rose, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by D. L. Ashliman, February 16, 2015, University of Pittsburgh. "He invited not only his relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women so that they would be kindly disposed toward the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but because he had only twelve golden plates from which they were to eat, one of them had to remain at home."
  7. ↑ Leysa, She Knows. "In Ukrainian Baby Names the meaning of the name Leysa is: Defender of man."

Notes

  1. ↑ As explained in Fables #22 — "Cinderella Libertine," and other issues, Briar Rose was awakened from the sleeping curse by Prince Charming and married him; indicating that she and her godmothers are from the same world as him.